LONGLISTED FOR THE 2014 WINTON ROYAL SOCIETY PRIZE FOR SCIENCE BOOKS As troubling as we pattern-seeking humans may find it, modern science has repeatedly shown us that randomness is the underlying heartbeat of nature. In Dice World, acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg takes readers on an incredible trip around our random universe, uncovering the truths and lies behind probability and statistics, explaining how chaotic intervention is behind every great success in business, and demonstrating the possibilities quantum mechanics has given us for creating unbreakable ciphers and undergoing teleportation. He explores how the ‘clockwork universe’ imagined by Newton, in which everything could be predicted given enough data, was disproved bit by bit, to be supplanted by chaos theory and quantum physics. Clegg reveals a world in which not only is accurate forecasting often impossible but probability is the only way for us to understand the fundamental nature of things. Forget the clockwork universe. Welcome to Dice World, a unique portrait of a startlingly complex cosmos, from the bizarre microscopic world of the quantum to the unfathomable mechanics of planetary movements, where very little is as it seems...

Frequently mind-boggling, from Einstein's brilliant proof of the existence of atoms to why the milk in your coffee stays mixed, 'Dice World' explore how - amongst all this mathematical chaos - probability and statistics have become the only way to get a grip on nature's workings.

A definitive look at Dungeons & Dragons traces its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game industry.

There are hundreds of great games played with the little cubes. Although the dice games included in this book come from all around the world, they share a common theme for delivering never ending entertainment.

Hasbro's dice game YAHTZEE sells some 50 million copies every year, thanks to a winning combination of simple rules, competitive scoring, and modest price. But until now, most players relied on dumb luck in their quest for victory. Advantage YAHTZEE provides a surefire winning edge: an original strategy developed by an expert on game theory that virtually guarantees a high score, yet is simple and straightforward enough for the average player to use on every roll. There are millions of fiercely devoted YAHTZEE players out there, and this is the game-beating system they've been waiting for.